he will be upset at the Suns, but he will also be looking forward to playing with the Knicks. They will love a guy like him (the fans), and he will eat that up. And he gets to go back home, which is usually a plus. I want to see the Knicks' 1st game vs the Suns with Marbury, I bet he is going to go off.

I can't wait to see the game Thursday (Rockets @ Knicks on TNT). It will either be Marbury's 1st or 2nd game as a Knicks, his first game as a Knick in MSG, Van Gundy will be back in NY...a lot of excitement and emotions...will be a very good game

Insider:Suns: Just hours before the Knicks, Suns trade went down, more rumors were flying that the Jazz and Suns were talking about a deal that would send Gugliotta and draft picks to the Jazz. In return, the Suns would net more cap space. Now with the Suns within 4 million of getting under the $57 million luxury tax and 2 more first-round draft picks to work with, you have to believe that the Suns will be even more motivated to make this deal happen.

The Jazz are roughly $8.7 million under the salary cap right now, meaning they can absorb a lot more salary than they have to send out in return. Since Gugliotta is in the last year of his contract, there are no long-term financial ramifications for the Jazz making the trade. They are essentially paying for draft picks.

Two different scenarios have been flying around. One has the Suns swapping Gugliotta ($11.9 mill. this year), the Knicks 1st-rounder and a Cavs 1st-round pick (top 13 protected) owned by the Suns to Utah for Keon Clark ($5 mill. this year). That move would shave 7 million off the Suns' books immediately and get them well under the luxury-tax threshold for the season. Considering that teams that are under the threshold get substantial rebates from the league as well, the move could end up netting the Suns somewhere between $15 and $20 million.

The other scenario has the Suns sending Gugliotta, Voskuhl ($1.5 mill.), Jacobsen ($1 mill.) and the Knicks 1st-rounder to Utah for Clark and Stevenson ($1.6 mill.). That trade gives Utah a couple of young players in Jacobsen and Voskuhl who could actually help the team without cutting deeply into their cap space for next season. What's the advantage for the Suns in the second scenario? Stevenson also becomes a free agent this summer. If the Suns waive him, they clear another $2.5 million under the cap, which they could use to help them lure a player like Kobe to Phoenix. ____________________________Knicks: Thomas has likely made the biggest trade he's going to make, but don't be surprised if a few smaller trades follow. Thomas tried to pry away Miles from the Cavs last weekend, offering Ward in return. Cavs GM Paxson wanted Frank Williams instead and Thomas balked. Now with Marbury and Norris in the fold, that deal probably sounds very appealing to Thomas. A Williams-and-Harrington-for-Miles trade works under the cap and may make some sense for both parties.

The Cavs have essentially given up on Miles. He's recorded 4 DNPs in as many games at the end of December and is clearly out of favor with coach Paul Silas. While snagging Williams for a player once considered the most promising in the draft class of 00 seems a bit underwhelming, the Cavs need a young starting pg and Williams has looked great the past week. On the Knicks' end, there isn't much to lose. Your point guards are now in place and Isiah's next goal is to get more athletic in the frontcourt. Miles would give the Knicks that. He's in the last year of his rookie contract, meaning the Knicks have no long-term obligation to him, but also own his Bird Rights if they do choose to re-sign him.

ESPN Insider: A supernova just hit Phoenix. The Suns are blowing up again. Suns GM Bryan Colangelo read the writing on the wall. His team, once considered the best young squad in the NBA, was floundering. Attendance was dwindling. The luxury tax was looming. The chances of making the playoffs dimmed by the day.

What to do? Trade away problem child Stephon Marbury, get Penny Hardaway's millstone off your neck and try again next year. The prize? Enough cap room to make a run at the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, the rights to the best young point guard in Europe, Milos Vujanic, and a chance to to go from a being a good team to a great one next year.

If the cap comes in at around $45 million next year, and the Suns are $10 million under, the Suns are suddenly right in the middle of the hunt to land Kobe.

And at first glance, they'd have to be the odds-on favorites. Kobe has been hinting that he wants out of L.A., but before today's trade, his best option appeared to be the Clippers. While the Clippers aren't a bad option for him if Donald Sterling is willing to pay, the Suns would be better. Combined with Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion, along with young players like Joe Johnson, Zarko Carbarkapa, Lampe and Milos Vujanic, the Suns would have as formidable of a team as any in the league. Phoenix has always been a premier free-agent destination because of the weather and the way the Colangelos run a first-class organization. Having Italian coach Mike D'Antoni couldn't hurt things either.

Yes, Kobe would have to take a decent pay cut to play in Phoenix. He's due $14.6 million next year in Los Angeles, and the Suns would probably be able to offer him only around $10 million. But for Kobe, the change of scenery, and the chance to win a championship without Shaq, may be worth the salary hit.

Even if the Suns can't land Kobe, the serious cap room will help them land a top-flight player. The acquisition of the two young European prospects -- Lampe and Vujanic -- also bodes well for the Suns' future.

he didn't have a great game, but he did a good job of getting others involved, I expect to see more of his offensive game Thursday, his 1st game at MSG, he will have a big night. But tonight, he only had:
8 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, 3-9 from the field, in 29 minutes